The Wayfinder
Navigate Travel Like an Expert
“We should just go.” Is there a better way to start a trip?
This time, as it often goes with us, these words were said to me by a good friend over Skype as we browsed blogs, bus routes, and plane tickets. We were both already in southern Chile at the time — she on an island off the coast and I in northern Patagonia.
But where we really wanted to be was Torres del Paine (pronounced PIE-nay), a national park nestled deep in those wispy clustered islands at the bottom tip of South America. Named for its “towers of blue,” Torres del Paine is a ragged mountainous dream, and, as avid backpackers, we were desperate to get there.
We faced one primary hurdle, however. It was May, and the park had already closed for the approaching winter season.
So there we were, chatting on Skype, trying to determine what, if anything, we could finagle in the off-season. We were just so close. We might as well go take a peek, right? We could cozy up in a lodge, we figured. Work from our laptops and swoon from a safe distance?
“We should just go,” my friend unceremoniously decided.
Seventy-two hours later, having no other solid plans other than the hostel we’d booked, we both landed with our backpacks in Punta Arenas, a tiny town perched on the Strait of Magallanes in the south of Chile. We were so far south, in fact, we were closer to Antarctica than the Chilean capital, Santiago, hence our concerns of winter.
Torres del Paine weather can be extreme depending on the season. The best time to visit is usually in the South American spring, between September and November, or in the fall from March to — you guessed it — May.
Being on the cusp of winter meant temperatures could get bitingly cold and snow could sweep in.
Nevertheless, we were there to see what we could.
From the airport in Puerto Arenas, we shuttled to the bus terminal and hopped on the next bus to Puerto Natales, which lies closest to the Torres del Paine National Park entrance.
About three hours later in Puerto Natales, we showed up on the doorstep of a hostel we had heard stayed open year-round. So there we were: eager feet, giddy smiles, and an extreme lack of solid information about the national park.
The hostel workers, however, were about to change that.
“You two came at the best time of the year!”
“Come again?” we said. “We were just hoping to day hike.”
“Nonsense,” they replied. “You’ll do the full five-day W trek.”
Torres del Paine National Park boasts three main trek options, each named for its approximate shape from an aerial view. There’s the W, the O (or full circuit), and the Q (which blends the two others).
We knew the higher elevations of the O and Q trails would be impassably icy and had already ruled those out. We assumed the W would be out as well. In fact, we were so convinced that we hadn’t even packed any equipment.
But as it turns out, early winter backpacking is not madness. It’s arguably the most ideal time.
Here’s the thing. For all its staggering mountain views, the W trail itself doesn’t scrape above 3,000 feet. Less elevation means less exposure. Despite possible snowfall and probable chill, late fall and early winter bring stunningly clear days and a still-mild climate.
Shortening days mean you get to gape at each sunset and sunrise, a wonder not easily appreciated during summer days of 16+ hours of sunlight.
Plus, a closed park means all the campsites are up for grabs.
But best of all, off-season means nearly empty trails. In the summer, Torres del Paine can teem with hundreds of hikers daily. But in May? In five days, we saw six other people.
We’d be a little cold, the hostel workers advised us, and quite possibly wet. But in exchange, we’d get to witness the last vibrant colors of fall and the brilliant stillness of winter. We were sold.
That night, the hostel workers helped us rally our itinerary and lent us all the equipment we’d neglected to bring. The next morning — 16 hours after we’d arrived — we were off.
Our itinerary lined up like this.
In total: 5 days, 4 nights, 64 miles.
What was it like to trek the W in May? Wide eyes and weak knees all around. Every which way we turned, we saw scenery plucked out of a calendar or backpacking magazine or Ansel Adams collection. The kind of backdrop where you’re consistently a little startled it’s not a green screen, baffled at how you got so undeservedly lucky to be in it.
Lakes of turquoise, glistening with glacier-fresh water (#nofilterneeded). Pampas of sun-streaked grasses gleaming in the wind. Sudden white peaks piercing a sapphire sky. Everything glowing pink in the sunset.
Two happy hearts treading lightly, breathing deeply, and telepathically bear-hugging those hostel workers for nudging us out the door.
Of all the unceremonious decisions we’ve made, this was among the best. It was further proof that things rarely go according to plan, but they sometimes work out infinitely better — and we really should just go.
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